Asia-Cast

Asia Cast for the week ending Friday 10th December (Human Rights Day)

In this bulletin:

- Thousands protest land seizures in Southern China,
- Asian Games highlights Chinese sports’ elitist nature,
- Japanese jets scrambled after Russian planes enter airspace, and
- Indonesia arrests top terror suspect.

But first our SOH focus on China.

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Thousands of protesters recently gathered for days outside local government offices in a Guangdong Province township.

The massive protest was triggered by the police response to an attack by an armed gang on villagers protesting forced land seizures.

A local resident told SOH a dozen attackers armed with knives ran into the market place of Xianyong Village, Shunde District on November 25 and set upon villagers protesting the land seizures. Many villagers were injured and at least one was said to have been killed.

The attackers were all caught by the villagers, but the local government sent police to rescue the gang. After the incident thousands of protesters gathered outside local government offices from November 26 to 29 with dozens of students and farmers arrested as a result.

At the end of 2009 local authorities seized 900 acres of land from Xianyong Village for the Guangzhou-Gaoming Highway Project. But villagers who lost their land were not offered any compensation, which sparked the initial protest.

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NTD-A gas explosion at a coal mine in Henan Province killed 26 people according to Chinese state-run media.

Forty-six miners were working underground when the blast occurred just before eight on Tuesday December 7 at the Suzhuang Coal mine.

Twenty miners were brought to safety, but toxic gas had to be released from the mine before the remaining miners could be found.

Police are investigating the cause of the blast.

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ET-Despite China recently topping the medal table of the Asian Games in Guangzhou, many Chinese are lamenting the lack of sportsmanship and public access.

China came first with 199 gold medals, second place South Korea had 76. Hong Kong’s Open magazine said while national resources and tax payers’ money produced these results the public in China don’t have access to sports facilities.

Official public health information shows the fitness of China’s youth has been declining for years. One Chinese journalist said Beijing’s policy of only seeking gold medals was distorting the true spirit and essence of sportsmanship.

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SOH takes a look across the wider Asia-Pacific region.

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NTD-Japan says it launched fighter jets on Monday December 6 when Russian patrol planes entered airspace above the Sea of Japan. Nearby military drills between the US and Japan were put on hold as a result.

Ties between Japan and Russia have been strained since Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s visit in November to one of four islands claimed by both countries, infuriating Tokyo.

Japan’s Foreign Minister recently viewed the islands from a plane, some Japanese media speculated the Russian action could have been in response to this.

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Indonesian police said Friday December 10 they had arrested one of the most dangerous Islamist extremists in the mainly Muslim country.

Abu Tholut is suspected of playing a lead role in the formation of a militant training camp found in February, as well as recruiting militants and raising illegal funds for terror activity.

Indonesian police said the terror suspect was arrested without a fight at his home in Kudus, Central Java province.

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Coming up on Asia Cast:

- Taiwan passes motion banning CCP human rights abusers,
- Australians rally to Support WikiLeaks founder, and
- Freedom House launches China Media Bulletin.

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“You’re listening to Asia Cast on the SOH Network”

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Back with the rest of today’s Asia Cast I’m Rich Crankshaw

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ET-Taiwan passed a provisional motion Tuesday December 7 barring entry to Chinese Communist Party officials who are suspected of or are being sued for serious abuses of human rights.

The motion was unanimously passed three days before International Human Rights Day on Friday December 10. The resolution however is not formal legislation, so its implementation is discretionary.

ET-In related news the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize for was presented to Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo in absentia, at a ceremony held in Oslo on Human Rights Day. An empty chair marked Liu’s absence.

Liu Xiaobo is being held in a Chinese labour camp and his family was not allowed to travel from China to accept the prize on his behalf.

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NTD-Rebel leaders in Burma say conflict with government forces could become wider and more intense.

They fear the new administration will try to crush them with military might.

The chairman of the rebel Shan State Army said if the Burmese government doesn’t allow ethnic minorities a voice, but instead uses its armed forces to oppress them, fighting would spread.

Last month thousands fled as fighting erupted in Myawaddy town on the Thai border.

Many analysts fear war is imminent, raising fears in Thailand and China particularly of a protracted conflict, refugee crisis and disruption to trade and crucial energy projects.

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NTD-Hundreds of Australians rallied in support of WikiLeaks fonder Julian Assange Friday December 10.

Supporters rallied in Sydney on to back Australian born Assange, whose recent publishing of sensitive U.S. documents has caused a diplomatic uproar around the world.

Protesters in Sydney said not to shoot the messenger.

Assange, an Australian citizen, recently turned himself in to authorities in the UK. He’s facing sexual misconduct allegations in Sweden and is awaiting a hearing next week.

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On a lighter note.

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International freedom monitor Freedom House has recently launched a China media bulletin. The organisation told SOH the bulletin was a weekly update of press freedom and censorship news relating to China and regions affected by Beijing’s influence.

The bulletin, primarily aimed at journalists, brings together news from Chinese and English language media. Freedom House said there had been an amazing response from journalists based within China who would not usually be able to access such news easily.

The organisation, whose mission to advance freedom and democracy around the world, added there had also been interest from policy makers wanting to keep informed on these matters.

Anyone can sign up to the free China Media Bulletin by emailing cmb@freedomhouse.org

SOH Network’s Trevor Piper interviewed Sarah Cook, Asia Research Analyst and Assistant Editor and will Post a special edition Asia Cast later this week with the full interview.

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NTD-Results of NTD’s Third Chinese International Photography Competition were announced in New York December 4.

After two months of review, the judges selected 48 winners out of over 6,000 entries. Eighty-eight selected entries will be displayed at Calumet Photographic Gallery in Manhattan from up until December 24.

NTD said the competition aimed to promote traditional aesthetic concepts and showcase the talents of Chinese photographers.

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“Asia Cast… keeping you across the top headlines from the Asia Pacific.”